A wargamer´s trip to Arnhem - (part 1) Oosterbeek Airborne museum and surroundings

 

The days of the Carnival break were spent in the Netherlands and - obviously - around Arnhem and Oosterbeek, with a short visit to Eindhoven, Nijmegen and the Vught concentration camp. 

The Oosterbeek Airborne Museum (there is another at Arnhem) is the old Hartenstein Hotel and the HQ of the 1st British Airborne Division during the 9 days of the Market Garden campaign, and also the center of the defensive perimeter very close to the east/west main artery of Oosterbeek, Utrechtseweg. 

As we flew cheap with backpacks I was not able to carry my two large volumes of Market Garden Then and Now but was able to take my two excellent volumes on Arnhem and Oosterbeek of Battleground Europe by Frank Steer which cleared many doubts on the way and helped me find virtually everything I needed. 

Unfortunately, the tennis courts were the German prisoners  were held are gone and turned into a sort of rest area. 

Inside the museum you can find a great collection of items very well displayed. The container next to the British paratrooper is of good usage both for modeller and wargamer. 

A Polish radioman.

                           

A very good selection of weapons in the vitrine to the left. The 50mm German mortar is interesting with a base in dunkelgelb and the tube in panzer gray. The large Nebelwerfer rocket probably belonged to Von Tettau´s large Kampfgruppe or less likely to the 10th SS Panzer division as these ones operated south of the lower Rhine. 

I´m not sure if this was the first 8cm German mortar I´ve seen but it looked quite big. I think that its representation in 1/72-20mm size should be slightly increased in most brands. 

It was nice to see the British webbing in a light pea green tone close to what I did with my British paratroopers. 

This is a British list of 'Gerry' casualties fu..., sorry, taken by this sniper. 

Frost´s hunting horn ended up in the museum after some adventures. Now I need a 20mm John Frost with a hunting horn. 

A painting of the medical aid from both sides around the Crossroads.

An animated battle map is one of the best features of this museum as it shows the events from the day one up to the last. Of course, in the basement you can take a ride in a Horsa Glider and go through Oosterbeek ruins in another great animation.  

The HQ of the artillery regiment of the 1st British Airborne was situated some 100 meters to the south of the museum and is represented by this battered 17 pdr AT gun. 

                             

As you can see there is more than one Urkuhart, with the British version (183 cm)) being slightly taller than the portuguese one (170 cm). Unfortunately the weight between the two is getting dangerously close. 

                          

                                                         

The first modelling consequence upon arrival was to repaint sand yellow a good part of the white walls of my scratch built Hartenstein hotel /Airborne Museum as white walls was the perception that many had during decades. I left the interior white but I may go for some paper wall decoration as in the original. 

Next: part 2 with more Oosterbeek